The Second Wave of Cannabis Legalization: Edibles, Extracts, and Topicals

The Cannabis Regulations, found in the Cannabis Act (Bill C-45), came into force last October to establish rules regarding the production, distribution, importation, and exportation of cannabis. The regulations also covered the five classes of cannabis (dried, fresh, oil, plant, and plant seed) and their packaging and labelling requirements. Now, as the second wave of legalization for cannabis edibles approaches exactly one year later, a new set of regulations must be put in place. Please see the Proposed Regulations Document from Health Canada for additional clarity.

Three new classes of cannabis have been proposed (amendment to Schedule 4 of the Act):

Edible cannabis

Cannabis extracts

Cannabis topicals

The regulations for these new classes are intended to address issues including public health, foodborne illnesses, appeal to youth, THC limits, packaging and labeling, GPPs, and consumption safety risks. A summary of the new edible (additional cannabis products) regulations can be found here. As they are integrated into the existing cannabis regulations, the goal is twofold:

To remain consistent with other regulatory frameworks for Food, Vaping Products, and Cosmetics, and

To enable the displacement of the illegal cannabis industry.

Other proposed amendments include, but are not limited to:

Storage and quality control (Part 5) such as air filtration requirements

Prescription drugs (Part 8, 9) such as the removal of Drug Establishment Licenses